The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - issues affecting you and your patients

The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
– Volume 1, Issue 10 November 2009

EDITOR'S COMMENTS
	Sharing local evidence

NEWS
	Better communication is needed between healthcare settings
	Diabetes can be prevented for at least 10 years with interventions
	New label design for IV doses

THERAPEUTICS
	Multiple myeloma — recent advances in treatment The treatment of multiple myeloma has advanced rapidly over the past few years, with the licensing of several new drugs and combination regimens. Netty Wood and Calum Polwart describe the key changes and the why role of the clinical pharmacist in this therapeutic area is increasing.

DRUG SAFETY
	Improving the safety of anticoagulant therapy A number of initiatives have been introduced at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to improve the safety of anticoagulant therapy. In this article, Narinder Bhalla, Helen Howe and Trevor Baglin describe how these initiatives were implemented.

DRUG APPRAISAL
	Assessing sapropterin for HPA in phenylketonuria Sapropterin dihydrochloride was licensed at the end of last year for hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) in patients with phenylketonuria. In this article, the North Central London Formulary and Medicines Management Group review the evidence for its efficacy and safety. By Anthony Grosso and Pritesh Bodalia.


PRESCRIBER'S CORNER
	Reviewing therapy changes in a patient with depression Prescriber's Corner describes situations encountered by pharmacist prescribers and invites you to consider clinical decisions about the patient. In this case, you are reviewing a patient with anxiety and depression in whom a change in treatment has caused further problems. By Andrew Husband and Anne-Marie Bailey.

PROFILE
	Independent prescribing in a traumatic stress service Amanda Parkinson is a pharmacist independent prescriber working in a trauma service in Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust. This article describes her unique role within the service. By Shona Kirk.

MEETINGS
	Challenges in acute oncology The past year has produced some significant challenges for oncology pharmacy services, not least from publication of the NCAG and NCEPOD reports. Strategies to address these challenges were among the topics discussed at this year's British Oncology Pharmacy Association conference. Hannah Pike reports.
	Safer use of injectable drugs Examples of how NHS trusts have been implementing the National Patient Safety Agency alert to promote the safer use of injectable medicines were discussed at this year’s NPSA workshop, sponsored by B Braun. Christine Clark reports.
	How drug use affects pricing Factors influencing international drug use, and integrating technology into practice were among the topics discussed at this year’s European Society of Clinical Pharmacy symposium. By Christine Clark.

LAST WORD
	A new chief executive for the Society: the search begins Last month the Royal Pharmaceutical Society advertised the post for a new chief executive. Philip Brown describes the qualities that the profession should hope to see in the successful candidate.


The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy is an editorially independent publication. Copyright of the The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. No reproduction in any format is allowed unless permission is granted by the publisher.